Airbnb is on the hunt for the world’s craziest spaces — and will help foot the bill to build them. Whether it’s the next boot, UFO house or giant potato, the first-of-its-size US$10,000,000 (approx. THB353 million) OMG! Fund is seeking ideas from existing and aspiring designers, architects, DIYers and makers from around the globe.
The fund’s US$10,000,000 will help finance 100 of the craziest ideas, giving 100 people an opportunity to turn them into actual Airbnb OMG! Category listings, which are Airbnb’s collection of the most unique homes.
Starting today, anyone with an out-of-this-world idea can submit an application at https://th.airbnb.com/d/
The fund is shaped in part by the growing trend of flexible living that has emerged in the past two years. As part of this shift, Airbnb guests are craving more unexpected spaces that become the destinations themselves, and Airbnb Categories, which launched last month, provide a new way to search for these spaces. More than 30,000 unique listings across the world were added to Airbnb in 2021 and the OMG! Category – which has one of the highest rates of engagement among guests browsing Airbnb – showcases the craziest amongst them, making it easy for guests to discover these listings in places they wouldn’t have otherwise looked.
Hosting on Airbnb provides powerful economic benefits to Hosts. In 2021, Host earnings in Thailand totaled almost 1 billion baht (US$26.5 million). Additionally, nights booked at unique properties increased globally by over 49 percent from 2019 to 2021.
- Iris Apfel, incomparable and irreverent centenarian style icon
- Koichi Takada, founder of Sydney-based international studio Koichi Takada Architects, known for emotive design inspired by the natural world
- Kristie Wolfe, Airbnb Superhost and prolific creator of OMG! Listings including the Potato Hotel, Crystal Peak Lookout, Big Island Treehouse and the forthcoming Shipwreck House
- Bruce Vaughn, Disney alum and Airbnb’s VP of Experiential Creative Product
The US$10,000,000 OMG! Fund opens today for a period of 30 days, through July 23 at 10:59 pm Thailand time. The 100 fund recipients will be selected by the panel over the next several months, with the intent of having their newly-constructed spaces complete next year.
*For more information, including a list of eligible countries, see the Official Rules.